31 Day Blog Challenge: Day 2

Hey and howdy. Welcome to day 2 of my 31 Day Blog Challenge series. I am quite tired today and hadn’t looked at the day’s challenge until just now (prepared, I know) and didn’t realize it would be potentially more intensive than day 1. hmmmph. I mean, I guess it makes sense that the next day would be a bit harder. But phew! I’ve had a long day. Well, let me take a stab at this. Today’s challenge is Favorite Quote(s). There really are so many beautiful words and phrases, so many wonderful books and songs to glean from. If I did some searching I could probably come up with something that would speak to my heart, but just drawing from my own memory I can think of two very poignant pieces. First is from “Run To You” by The Rocket Summer.

Taken by Jess Arnold

So I’ll run to you, I will run, I will run. I will move right on through All of these things that I have done. And you’ll take me back, I don’t know why. I want to say I’ll never do it again, but I can’t But I will try.” -Bryce Avary, The Rocket Summer

Although I’m not sure where I’m at with my faith right now, I still claim the Christian faith as the one that is truest to my soul. Regardless of faith though, I think having a Higher Power that sees all, loves all, and forgives all is the best thing anyone could ever ask for. Whatever that Power may be for you, or for me for that matter, being seen in all states of being and welcomed back after any failure or wrong is something I hope we never have grow accustomed to living without. Sometimes the only thing that matters is that you just try to not do that thing you hate the most. Maybe it’s a sin thing, maybe it’s a dependency thing, maybe it’s a self-critic thing, and you’ll probably never NOT do THAT thing…but you can try. And you can have some relief. And you can give yourself a break. And sometimes it makes all the difference. The second is from Bradley Hathaway’s “Samuel”. If you like spoken word and you’ve never listened to Bradley Hathaway, get on my level! His poems have spoken so much life into my veins. Particularly this specific line that I actually chose to have tattooed on myself:

Photo Credit: Josh Rose Photography, Utah

I really don’t think I even need to elaborate much on the words. I will just briefly: I want to be loved. I also want to be liked. A lot. And I just can’t make it happen sometimes. I try…hard. No matter how hard I try, or wish, or even just think “psh, sorry not sorry, you should love me cuz I’m grrrreat”, it still sucks to wish for it so much and still not feel like you have enough of it. I want it. I want it just because. I want it to be enough. I want to be enough. So why the tattoo? Mostly just to honor some really beautiful words. But also because I just need to be marked by the fact that my own skin is enough of a reason to be loved. I exist and that is enough for my Higher Power. You can’t run away from your own skin. Love to you all, xoxo Jess

Make sure to keep up with my 31 Day Blog Challenge by subscribing to my posts through email. You can also like me on social media here. My friends are also blogging with me this month! Check out these girls and click on their photos to visit their blogs. Make sure to leave them some comment love!